muscovado

Happy Tuesday from my little corner of the world to you!

Here in Selma, life is busy and full with back to school activities and the onset of football season. Of course we’re still in full-on house building mode, and although I’m sure we are still getting a little closer everyday, this truly feels like the never-ending project. In an effort to not get stir-crazy in the process, I’ve been baking up a storm.

Lucky for me, we are knee-deep in cookbook season! Autumn months are prime time for new cookbook releases, so keep your eyes peeled over the coming months for recipes that I’ll be sharing from some of my new favorite reads. Up first is this recipe for brown butter muscovado chocolate chip cookie bars, fresh from my sweet friend Rebecca’s first release, “The Cookie Book“!

I first met Rebecca at last year’s Saveur Blog Awards, but I became familiar with her long before that. Rebecca writes a hilarious, sugar-coated blog that I frequent for recipes and inspiration, and it was a dream to meet an online friend in real life. She thrives on creating accessible recipes that home bakers actually want to make, and her book is no exception. “The Cookie Book” is filled with tons of recipes that I can’t wait to dive right into.

Brown Butter Muscovado Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

These cookie bars are as simple as they are decadent. Rich and caramel-y muscovado sugar (like the sexy cousin of plain, old-fashioned brown sugar) combines with my all-time favorite ingredient, brown butter, to create a sweet and salty chocolate chip cookie bar that is to die for. I only wish I had thought of it myself.

Making the Bars

To make these brown butter muscovado chocolate chip cookie bars, we start with browning butter. For a how-to on that, be sure to check out my tutorial here. Brown butter is stirred into the blend of sugars before eggs, milk, and vanilla are added to the mix. Next come the dry ingredients, followed by a boat-load of chopped dark chocolate. Spread the dough into a prepared baking dish and bake away until the bars are golden and set. Rebecca recommends finishing off these brown butter muscovado chocolate chip cookie bars with a heavy hand of salt, and I couldn’t agree more.

These little treats would make a wonderful addition to your fall tailgates, dinner parties, and afternoon snacks. We have been munching on them since I discovered the recipe a week ago, and I am not mad about it. Give Rebecca’s book a looksie here and try on these cookie bars for size. I have a feeling they’re all the push you’ll need to spring for the book. Happy Tuesday and Happy Baking, y’all!

If you like this recipe you should try:

Brown Butter Blondies: Two Ways

Brookies (Brownie Cookie Bars)

Butterscotch Blondies

Pecan Toffee Blondies

Derby Pie Cookies

Brown Butter Muscovado Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

The brown butter muscovado chocolate chip cookie bars are sweet and salty, rich dessert bars that will take your average after-dinner treats and snacks to the next level. Try this recipe from Rebecca Firth today!

• Author: Rebecca Firth
• Prep Time: 20
• Cook Time: 35
• Total Time: 55 minutes
• Yield: 16
• Category: Dessert

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (115 gm) unsalted butter
• 1 cup (210 gm) dark muscovado sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup (96 gm) sugar
• 1/3 cup (80 mL) sunflower seed oil or other neutral oil
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 egg yolk, room temperature
• 2 tablespoons milk, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1–1/2 cups (205 gm) bread flour
• 1–1/2 cups (205 gm) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1–1/2 cups (180 gm) dark chocolate, chopped
• Sea salt flakes for dusting on top, optional

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Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Grease an 8×11″ casserole dish and line with parchment paper, letting the excess fall over the sides.
2. Put the butter in a medium saucepan and melt over medium heat. Once melted, crack up the heat to medium high. Continue stirring and look for small golden bits that will start to settle on the bottom of the pan. It will smell deliciously nutty and caramel-y. This should take around 3-5 minutes. Once this happens, take it of the heat and pour into a medium, heat-safe bowl to cool a bit.
3. When cooled slightly, whisk in the muscovado, granulated sugar, oil, eggs, egg yolk, milk, and vanilla until thoroughly blended.
4. In another medium bowl, whisk together the bread flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and sea salt. Add this to the butter mixture and stir until barely blended. Add in the chocolate chunks and continue to blend until just combined and the chocolate is evenly distributed.
5. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Dampen your hands and gently press down so that is covers the bottom of the dish. Bake in the center of the oven for 25 minutes. (Note: bake time is dependent on pan type and oven temp. If they look significantly gooey at 25 minutes, feel free to leave in an additional 5-10. Bars will continue to cook and firm up some once removed from the oven.) Sprinkle with sea salt flakes, if desired. Let cool completely before cutting. These are great the same day as they’re made and equally dazzling the next.

Notes

• If you use a larger or smaller pan be sure to adjust your bake time accordingly. Additionally, these were tested in ceramic pans. Note, if you use a metal pan check earlier for doneness as it could affect the bake time.
• Check out the link in my post for help on browning butter!